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-(NO M0deI-) 1 i F. RUDLOFFi SAFETY CHAMBER. FOR SUBMARINE TUNN I N0.260 ,5 0 2. Patented ,1882.

' WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY n rnzns mmm w. wan-m a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY-F. RUDLOFF, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY-CHAMBER FOR SUBMARINE TUN-NELS.

July 4, 1882.

Application flled July 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. known, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Chambers for Submarine Tunnels, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means in the building of submarine tunnels by which the danger arising from afloodin g of the partly-built tunnel-section by a sudden break 'in the protecting-shield or by the escape of the compressed air,when the latter is employed for keeping out the water, is to a great extent avoided, and also a means of escape il'lurndished to the men employed at the tunnel- The invention is also adapted for the headings of deep mines, especially as it furnishes a means of access to the flooded section for getting to the men and resuming work.

The invention consists in arranging at the forward end or head of the tunnel two or more transverse partitions, which extend from the top to a point somewhat below the middle of the tunnel, and which are secured tightly to the upper half of the tunnel. To the lower end of each transverse partition is applied, when an air-lock is used, a U-shaped tubular channel, which extends to some distance above the lower edge of thepartition for establishing communication from one tunnel-section to the other in case the tunnel should be flooded with water.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel represents a vertical longitudinal section of asubmarine tunnel with my improved safety-chamber, showing the same as flooded; and Fig. 2 is a vertical tfansverse section of the same on line 00 as, Fig. 1. f

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The dangers connected with submarine'tum neling are well known, and accidents cannot be entirely prevented with the safeguards at present known,whatever be the system employed. Means for protecting the workmen against the sudden breaking in of the water and flooding of the tunnel from the head have been proposed, but they were either too clumsy and complicated for use or not adapted to the systems employed.

In the recently-proposed system of tunnelingby means of compressed air the danger of a break and the flooding of the completed tunnel-section becomes the greater the farther thetunnel-head advances under the water. In case of a break there is almost no escape for the workmen,while the clearing of theflooded tunnel and the resumption of work is connected with considerable difficulty. For giving a protection to the workmen in case of danger, two or more transverse partition-walls,

break and the sudden flooding of the tunnel,

in which case the water can only rise to such a level till the pressure of the air in the upper part of the chambers neutralizes the upward pressure of the water and prevents thereby effectively the further rise of the water-level. These air-chambers provide the air necessary for the workmen and protect them against drowning. Whenever there is danger of an accident there will'always be sufflcient time for the workmen'to get back of the first safetypartition, so as to reach the first air-chamber formed between the two outermost partitions, from'which they can escape through a U-shaped tubular channel, B, which, when an air-lock is used, is attached to the lower edge of the safety-partition and extended to suitable height above the same, as shown in Fig. 1,to the next chamber, and from the same through the channelB of the next partition to the end section of the tunnel, at which point assistance can easily reach them. When the air-lock and U-shaped tubes are not employed the men may escape by diving under the partitions from one chamber to another.

As by the safety-partitions A and channels B means are furnished to reach the outer end of the tunnel, the work in the tunnel can be readily resumed by divers, who can stop the leak and remove obstructions. By extending, then, the partition-walls in a downward direction as near as possible'to the bottom of the tunnel and furnishing an additional supply of air the water can be quickly removed by pumping out section by section until the tunnelhead is reached, where work can be resumed and pushed forward with less expense, less delay, and less dangerof life than heretofore. In case no air-lock is arranged at the land end of the tunnel, it is preferable to arrange a larger number of partition-walls than when an airlock is used. The air-lock will be formed in any well-known manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A safety device for submarine tunnels, consisting of two or more transverse partitions secured tightly to the upper part of the tunnel-section, substantially as set forth.

HENRY F. RUDLOFF.

Witnesses PAUL GoEPEL, CARL KARP. 

